Mass Effect 3: Advent of the Lost
by Ander Rho
Summary: An alternate ending to ME3 assuming the Indoctrination Theory. It ultimately answers this question: If the decision chamber was a lie by Harbinger, then what does the Crucible actually do? Note: AotL presumes an understanding of IT and the following in-game choices: Genophage cured, Quarians/Geth survive in peace, Rachni Queen saved in ME1, Garrus, Tali, and Kirrahe survive.


**Advent of the Lost**

**by Trevor Corley**

Wide eyed and gasping, Shepard stirs in the jagged rubble of London. As if waking from someone else's dream, the foreign visions retreat to the recesses of his mind. At first all Shepard can hear are his N7 dog tags clanging against his charred and war-torn armor as he makes his way to his feet. Then he hears it; the agonizing growl of defeat by the Reaper who failed to indoctrinate him.

Staggering shell-shocked, Shepard wheels around to face the sinister Reaper poised for attack. The ominous bloodshot glow of Harbinger's beam begins to intensify and Shepard knows the Reaper won't shoot to wound this time; it will shoot to kill. Realizing he is too far to make a run for the beam, Shepard raises his weapon and thinks "If I'm going to die…I'll die with an empty clip."

Shepard charges like a warrior poet. Pissing metal from his rifle, he advances headlong towards his doom. As the Reaper's beam charges to near completion, a second beam tears into Harbinger's flank. Harbinger howls and belays its attack as it turns to see its aggressor. Recognizing the imminent danger; Harbinger ascends from the surface to defend against this mutinous, rogue Reaper.

Awestruck, Shepard slows to a stroll and drops his rifle by his side. Staring at the retreating Reaper, Shepard thinks to himself "I was sure I was about to die." On cue, the reflex memory of a past drill instructor sprang into Shepard's mind "Sentiment is a luxury ill afforded to the N7! If you are going to die, you use your last breath to crawl out of the way of the N7 behind you! Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir" Shepard says aloud. Focusing on something productive, he thinks "It's not coming back." Seizing the opportunity of a distracted Harbinger, Shepard makes a mad dash for the beam. He doesn't dare take his eye off his objective. He just keeps running as Reaper debris falls to Earth in quakes of violent crashes. Just as he reaches the beam he risks a glance at the conflict and sees that it's not just one rogue Reaper, but several. As he tries to comprehend the motivations of his saviors, Shepard is plunged in the blinding blue light of the beam to the Citadel.

As his vision slowly comes back, Shepard begins to recognize his surroundings. He is in the room where he first became a Spectre. The room where he first defeated a Reaper. The room where it all began. The Council Chambers. Although something is different. Shepard notices that the antechamber just in front of the elevator has changed. Instead of the circular fountain in the center; there is a pillar of blue light extending to the distant ceiling. Shepard checks on a human soldier lying near the beam. Not feeling a pulse, Shepard relieves the soldier of his omni-tool and sidearm. Gun drawn, the wary Shepard continues up the stairs as he attempts to contact Hammer in a whisper "Anderson do you copy? I made it through the beam. I'm aboard the Citadel."

"I'm afraid that won't work Shepard."

The words float like a fog in the cathedral-like enclosure. Shepard scans the room for the source of the familiar voice. He notices munitions and armor scattered across the floor. He sees piles of dead soldiers. Nearby there are several Dragon's teeth towering over the mass graves. Impaled humans, bent and disfigured, atop their aerial tombs.

Satisfied his corners are checked; Shepard examines the stairs that lead up to the Council's platform and finds the source of the mysterious conversationalist. He aims his pistol center mass of the revealed figure making its way down the row of stairs. "You see, despite your very presence in this place, I can assure you Commander, we are quite secluded."

At first, all Shepard can discern are two silhouettes. Then, as the speaker concludes their sentence, there is the telltale flare of a cigarette drag in the center of the shadowy outline's head. Shepard as heard enough. He blasts two rounds at the figure's face. The shots ricochet throughout the silent coliseum. Temporarily illuminated by the muzzle flash of his pistol, Shepard realizes the second figure is in front of the Illusive Man. In the shimmering blue haze of the regenerating shields, Shepard glimpses the deep, menacing stare of a Marauder. Shields recharged, the Illusive Man and his body guard continue down the steps.

"Nice try, Shepard. But as I was saying…you're only here because I have **allowed** you to be. You see, the Citadel is near impervious when the station is closed. Yet it does have one weakness. With finite supplies, even the Citadel is susceptible to siege tactics. That's the beauty of this beam. We utilize the station's core to create a short range, point-to-point mass effect field for transport of supplies and troops."

Shepard interrupts accusingly "We…? Can you even hear yourself?" He motions towards the pile of corpses "These 'troops'…are **human beings**! The very people you swore to protect!

The Illusive Man prattles off the well rehearsed excuse "Sacrifices must be made for the greater g..."

Shepard cuts him off "Fuck your greater good! You betrayed us all to the Reapers! You betray us still. You're indoctrinated; why else would you be here…?"

"My resolve has led me this far. I stand now on the shoulders of the brave men and women who sacrificed themselves for this opportunity. And I can see the Promised Land. Soon the galaxy will be uplifted with the power I bring them. The power…of the Reapers."

Shepard responds bluntly "No. You're here as a glorified chauffer. Think about it. You know the history. The Protheans corrupted the Reaper signal to the Keepers. They only respond the Citadel itself now. The Reapers simply need some kind of 'hardware' present to press buttons. That's why they used Saren before. And that's why they're using you now."

Sounding offended the usually unflappable Illusive Man snaps back "You're wrong! We ar…I…am here to quell this insignificant insurrection led by yet another failed prospect, Commander Bailey."

Shepard responds hopefully "There are survivors on the Citadel?"

"Quite a few actually. As you can see, most of my forces are deployed elsewhere. These interlopers have proven more resourceful then anticipated. They employ guerilla tactics; hit-and-run strategies before retreating through the bowels of the ship. Most of my Reapers are detained throughout the wards. But that's to be expected in any occupied territory."

"Why are you even tying to stop them in the first place? They want what you want."

"They would undo everything I've worked for. All the sacrifices…"

"How?" Shepard's voice is thick with sarcasm "By opening the Citadel and docking the Crucible? That's exactly what you wanted, remember? Use the Crucible to control the Reapers."

Dejected the Illusive Man responds "No. They would waste the opportunity."

"So we just keep the Citadel closed? That way no one uses the Crucible?"

In almost a question, the Illusive Man mutters "Yes…"

"You say 'Controlling the Reapers is the key to defeating them.' Why? 'Because controlling the Reapers would give us power.' But why do we need such power? 'We need power to control the Reapers.' And why is that? 'Because controlling the Reapers is the key to defeating them.' Pleading Shepard yells "Don't be a fool! You're smarter than this. You're using circular logic to rationalize your actions. The Reaper's objectives conflict with your own so they have debased your reasoning to nullify the facts. Don't you get it? You're a pawn!"

Seething through grit teeth the Illusive Man snarls "Then why would a pawn have so much POWER!" The Illusive Man clenches his fist as three Dragon's Teeth descend and a trio of husks storm Shepard.

Shepard raises his pistol and three headshots later the husks skid to a halt at the Commander's feet. The undaunted Shepard continues "Your power is based on pretense. They appear to follow your orders because those orders come from the Reapers themselves. You think you're in control of these monsters when in reality; you **are** one of these monsters."

Shaking his head the Illusive Man stutters "No…no you're wrong. I only want what's best for humanity. I despise the Reapers."

With a troubled laugh, Shepard says "Who are you trying to convince? The Reapers don't care what you **think** your reasons are. They only care if they can use you. Listen…" Shepard pauses to let the reality sink in as he changes his tone. Then, with the stern wisdom rivaling a father, Shepard affirms "It's not our motives, but our deeds that are etched in the bedrock of time. And recruiting me maybe the greatest deed you've ever done." The Illusive Man cracks the faintest of smiles as Shepard continues "You put your faith in me once. Believe in me again. Open the Citadel. I'll do the rest."

The ceaseless stare of the Marauder's mechanical eyes have yet to deviate from the Commander until…"You're right." Glaring down at his feet, the Illusive Man admits to himself "You've always been right." He looks up at Shepard with luminous eyes filling with tears and confesses "I'm sorry." The Illusive Man shuts his eyes and sheds a solitary tear that resembles a sapphire before it crashes to the floor. When the Illusive Man opens them again, his eyes are now a dark hazel.

Alerted, the Marauder jerks his head to examine the Illusive Man. Inspecting him as if it has never seen the Illusive Man before, the Marauder begins to raise its rifle. Shepard yells something unintelligible as he too raises his weapon. The Illusive Man clenches his fist and, with an audible grunt, the Marauder halts his movement inches from firing position. Strain registers on both faces as the internal wrestling match persists. Shepard fires shot after shot into the Marauder's flank but as long as its shields hold, the Marauder is unfazed. The Marauder's rifle is nearly aiming directly at the Illusive Man now and Shepard sees the Reaper's shield fail. Shepard squeezes the trigger for what would be the kill shot but hears the heartbreaking *click* of an overheated weapon. Shepard scrambles to an all out sprint at the Reaper, hurdling bodies and barricades as he goes.

The Illusive Man peers into the expressionless visage of the former Turian. In a bittersweet revelation, he thinks "If I can't even control one Marauder, how did I ever hope to control the Reap…" The thought is interrupted by the spray of automatic fire. As the domination ceases, the Marauder's overexerted aim swings the firing rifle across the chest of the Illusive Man; creating a band of pink mist. The Illusive Man lets out a grunt as if he had the wind knocked out of him before collapsing to his knees. Now facing the opposite direction, the Marauder attempts to turnabout only to see an airborne Shepard mere feet from its face. Back arched and shoulder cocked, Shepard then buries his omni-blade deep in the Marauder's skull. Its body goes slack and Shepard retracts his blade. The lifeless Reaper plunges to floor with a series of thuds. Shepard looks over to see the Illusive Man propped on a nearby wall; a pool of blood collecting beneath him.

"Are you alright?" Shepard asks routinely.

Anemic, the Illusive Man croaks "Can you…help me with this?" He fumbles in his pocket.

Speaking softly, Shepard says "Sure, let me." He reaches into the pocket and pulls out the contents. He places a cigarette between the dying man's lips and lights it. "There. Better?"

The Illusive Man takes a long drag then removes the cigarette from his mouth with his bloodstained fingers. With a small cough his says "Almost." He looks Shepard in the face and the only thing glowing from his eyes now is the shimmer of renewed humanity. "You're the galaxy's best bet. That much has been clear from the beginning. Shepard…you…will destroy…the Reapers." As all expression fades from his face, the Illusive Man's arm goes limp. The unfinished cigarette is extinguished as the cinder is smothered in the expanding pool of blood.

Shepard closes the Illusive Man's eye lids and stands up. "For once, I hope you're right." Shepard approaches the familiar control panel and types in the commands. There is a flurry of activity onscreen as the Citadel arms begin to unlock and open. Shepard hails the Normandy.

"Commander…is that you?"

"I'm here Joker. Tell Admiral Hackett the Citadel is open. It's time to end this."

Almost giddy, Joker responds "Aye, aye, Commander."

"Oh…and Joker? I hope you're nearby 'cuz I'm gonna need a ride."

"Where else would I be? Running away from the battle...?" Joker scoffs. "Please."

Shepard lets out a grunt as if to say yea right. "Just meet me at the Citadel Tower."

"You got it Commander."

Bands of light begin to pour through the soft orange glow of the separating arms. Shepard realizes this is the second time he has opened the Citadel. First, to kill one Reaper inside. Second, to kill every Reaper out. Acknowledging that no civilization has ever been so close to defeating the Reapers, Shepard allows himself a moment of a fool's hope.

"Commander Shepard…can you read me?"

Shepard's reverie is severed at the sound of Admiral Hackett. "I read you Admiral."

"The Crucible as just entered the Sol system. Shield Fleet will escort the Crucible to the Citadel. How's our path?"

Optimistically, Shepard says "Better then you may think. It seems there is a coup among the Reapers."

"Mutiny? Why?"

"During my assault on the beam I was knocked unconscious and…I had a vision..."

Hackett interjects curiously "Like your encounter with the Prothean beacon?"

"Not exactly. This was Reaper tech. It seems Harbinger has been attempting to indoctrinate me for some time. This was its last ditch effort to turn me but it failed. And apparently the other Reapers know it. I'm not pretending to fully understand their twisted machine rational but it seems that, for the moment, some Reapers are actually our allies. I think now is our best chance to get the Crucible to the Citadel."

Hackett pauses as if to analyze the situation with due diligence. "Is it possible this is another trap Commander?"

Shepard responds "At this point nothing would surprise me…but I doubt it. Harbinger has shown his hand and been caught bluffing. Besides…what choice do we have Admiral?

"Point taken Commander. All Fleets, converge on the Citadel. Protect the Crucible at all costs."

Shield Fleet clears a path as the Crucible is virtually untouched due to the Reaper infighting. As the Crucible docks with the Citadel, activity on the control panel catches Shepard's eye. It shows a map of the galaxy with the Citadel blinking at its current location in the Sol system. It is connected by a line to a point outside the Milky Way. Dark space. The line is pulsing towards the Citadel but as the Crucible finalizes its connection the pulsing line changes direction. An icon Shepard doesn't recognize appears on the opposite end of the line. The map designates it "Construct". Shepard is lost in deep thought when he hears Admiral Hackett on the comm.

"All Fleets steer clear of the Crucible. It seems to be creating some sort of Mass Effect. Commander Shepard, what does this mean? How is this going to defend us against the Reapers?"

Shepard's mind is swimming. He racks his brain for answers as he reflects on what was said by the Prothean VI on Thessia. The Crucible was a concept passed down through the cycles. Civilization after civilization making improvements on the design to ultimately help defeat the Reapers. It's well established in the lore of the Reapers that they lurk in dark space waiting to harvest the next cycle of advanced civilizations. Shepard always assumed the prior cycles were caught just as off guard by the Reapers. More so if the Citadel was the first to fall as per the Reaper's plan. Constantly playing catch up made the races of this cycle desperate. So when they found hope in the Crucible, they assumed that it was a grand defense against the Reapers. Never realizing that the genesis of the Crucible was never meant to be a shield…but a sword.

As if struck by a lightning bolt of understanding, Shepard explains. "It's not. It never was. Admiral, the Crucible isn't a defense against the Reapers. It's an offense."

"What? Shepard, I don't understand."

"The Crucible creates a Mass Relay by reopening the gateway of the Citadel Relay to the Reapers. That's why the Citadel is the catalyst. This Crucible Relay leads to dark space. To the Reaper base."

"Base! What base? Didn't the Prothean VI on Ilos say the Reapers simply retreat to dark space?" Hackett asks.

"Vigil said their best theory was the Reapers hibernate between cycles to conserve energy. But while doing so they are vulnerable. So they evacuate the galaxy to not be found accidently. Then they're awakened by the Reaper Vanguard and the opening of the Citadel Relay. Its stands to reason they have some sort of power source or docking station to return to. And according to this control panel, the Reapers call it the "Construct".

Clearly troubled, Hackett says "But the Reapers are already here. A preemptive strike is no longer possible. And we put too much in the creation of the Crucible to just write it off as a sunk cost. Are we too late Commander?"

Shepard wants to answer immediately but he admits to himself that Hackett has a point. As the silence lingers, Shepard's lack of an answer worries even himself. Shepard's chest begins to tighten as thought begins to slither into his head that this has all been in vain. He squeezes his eyes shut in a mix of concentration and frustration but the acknowledgement gives the thought strength. Now Shepard's mind is a slideshow of horrors. All the friends he has lost. All the loved ones he will lose. All the people who are counting on him. All the soldiers brought together to die alone. So many sacrifices squandered. Even sacrifices of the past civilizations will be for nothing if he can't… Shepard's eyes spring open as the look of torment on his face is replaced by the steel of a man who knows what it is he has to do.

Shepard finally answers Hackett "No. A first strike may be off the table but we didn't get all dressed up for nothing." His voice hastens with authority "Admiral we need to get every ship still battle worthy through the Crucible Relay and find something on the other side worth shooting."

Disbelieving "Commander are you mad? If we abandon Earth now we'll lose everything. Not only the Sol system but every system in the entire galaxy!"

"The galaxy was forfeit the moment we dismissed the Reaper threat as a myth! This isn't the first time the Crucible was created. But like us, the past cycles didn't have the will to do what was necessary. They lost the element of surprise and soon after, the Citadel. And with it, any chance to use the Crucible. But that's not our story. We killed Sovereign, defeated their vanguard, and saved the Citadel. Yet we squandered our spoils of war. We were as oblivious to our second chance as we were to our first. I will not waste a third, Admiral. It's too late for salvation. But that doesn't mean we go without a fight. The truth is, we only made it this far because the last of the Protheans sabotaged the Keepers and superseded the Reaper Vanguard. We need to accept that we are only a link in the chain of wins that leads to victory. And now is the time we leave our legacy. If we take the fight to them, in their own backyard this time, maybe we can leave them nothing to go back to. We can cripple them so bad they don't have it in them to ever come back. At the very least we give the next cycle a better chance at an even fight. And we give those Reaper bastards a nice human sized boot up their ass to remember us by."

Bolstered by Shepard's will of fire, Hackett responds "Then let's do this right." Addressing both Shield and Sword, Hackett orders "This is Admiral Hackett. All fleets, prepare to enter the Crucible Relay. We're going in."

The Normandy retrieves Shepard from the Citadel Tower and takes point at the front of the entire Allied Fleet. Traversing the Relay, Shepard thinks to himself "This is the end once and for all. One last suicide mission."

Arriving at the familiar enough relay the crew notices something. Or rather, they notice something that isn't there to be noticed. Darkness. Nothingness. The unmitigated void. As oblivion threatens their very sanity, an object comes into view. At first the crew is relieved to have something to orient themselves to in this starless desolation. That feeling quickly fades. Multiple ship captains make the mistake of ordering the operators to zoom the cameras out to get a better view of the object. Only to be told the cameras are zoomed out; that's the object's actual size. The monolithic Reaper station dwarfs most moons. The sight renders the crews momentarily petrified. A horror equaled only by the monumental shock of the handful of Reapers left behind on this cycle's reaping. Refusing to succumb to paralyzing fear, Shepard begins barking orders. From the brink of dismay, the Commander's voice snaps the crew out of their collective stupor with the muscle memory of military discipline. A flurry of activity explodes as soldiers begin to execute orders. The entire Allied Fleet then opens fire upon the unassuming Reapers as they have done little more then turn to see the unforeseen intrusion. Vastly outnumbered and barely shielded in their lethargy, the Reapers are cut down quickly.

Admiral Hackett contacts Shepard "What now Commander?

Shepard responds as if the answer is painfully obvious "Open fire on the Construct."

Distressed, Hackett scolds Shepard "This is no time for blind rage Commander. Even with all our combined firepower we wouldn't even make a dent. The barriers alone would…"

Shepard cuts the Hackett off saying "Check again Admiral. That thing doesn't even have a barrier. Those arrogant bastards never anticipated we'd get this far." There is a pause as Hackett assesses the gravity of Shepard's last statement. The crew waits in silence, staring at Hackett, preparing for his orders.

Remiss to waste even another second of this opportunity, Hackett orders all fleets open fire. The Construct is pummeled by the full bombardment of the Allied Fleet as city sized chunks of the colossal space station fracture off into dark space. Suddenly, the space around the Mass Relay is blanketed by Reapers.

The hostile Reapers hurl themselves desperately to the defense of the Construct. Most of the Allied Fleet breaks off their attack and begins focusing fire on the Reapers themselves. However, the Destiny Ascension stays on target; making strafe runs on the Construct. Reapers try to overtake the Asari flagship but suffer heavy damage attempting to pierce the Allied Fleet's front lines. Krogan landing parties launch from Turian cruisers towards the unshielded Reapers that penetrated the Allied defenses. These interceptors slam into the Reaper's flank puncturing the hull like the quills of a porcupine. Hordes of Krogan commandos pour into the Reaper's innards and wreak havoc. Banshee screams echo throughout the eerie ship as reverberations from packs of stampeding Husks rattles the very hull. Killing as they go, the Krogan commando unit escorts their cargo to the innermost recesses of the Reaper. The audible hum of the ship is now a near unbearable screech. Approaching their objective, the Krogans begin bellowing hearty war cries to combat the Reaper's indoctrination attempts. Unable to resist, a few commandos fall out of the blitz clutching their heads. At the crescendo of their victory song, the strike team reaches their destination. With one last cheer for their home world, the brave Krogans detonate their payloads. Warp bomb explosions tear through the bowels of the overextended ships. No Reapers survive.

The Quarian and Geth Fleets ambush unsuspecting Reapers still arriving from the relay. In an angled pincer formation, whichever fleet the Reapers choose to attack retreats while the opposing fleet rotates in tandem and decimates the Reaper's flank.

The Rachni Fleet flies in perfect unison with such precisely timed strikes that the Reapers appear unable to keep up. The Human and Turian Fleets combine to swarm and overwhelm Reapers trying to take defensive positions around the Construct.

Harbinger emerges through the fiery wreckage of a Dreadnought and hurtles towards the Construct with multiple Reapers in formation, guarding its flank. Later then he would have liked, it becomes frighteningly apparent to Shepard that Harbinger isn't speeding towards the Construct…it's speeding towards him.

Shepard, sounding pressured, beseeches his pilot "Joker…get us the hell out of here!"

"My thought exactly!" Joker exclaims.

Harbinger pursues the Normandy with reckless abandon; slowly gaining on its prey.

"We're not gonna make it!" Joker cries out. "They're too fast!" The Normandy takes a Reaper beam across the starboard bow and scrapes against the debris of a wrecked Turian ship.

"Damn it Joker! I thought you were good at this!" Shepard yells accusingly.

"I'm doing my best God damn it!"

"Well your best isn't good enough soldier! What else you got?" Shepard questions.

"Nothing! I can't outrun them; I can barely out maneuver them in open space. This ship wasn't designed for open warfare. It was designed for…wait…I've got an idea."

After a slight pause Shepard probes "And…?"

Grinning Joker responds "And…you're not gonna like it…"

"Just do it already!" Shepard yells.

The Normandy banks hard and plunges towards the massive opening at the bottom of the Construct. Joker reports breaking line of sight of Harbinger and activates the IES stealth systems. The Normandy coasts through the empty space of the gargantuan structure. Onboard EDI jolts violently and grasps the sides of her head. The tremor subsides quickly as she calls out to Shepard "Commander? I have something you need to see."

"What is it EDI?"

"It would appear, like the ship's outer defenses, there are no measurable safeguards or firewalls protecting this vessel's information network."

Shepard responds hopeful "Anything interesting…?"

EDI pauses, touching her fingers to her temple as if in deep thought. "Interesting doesn't even scratch the surface.

Back outside the Construct the Allied Fleet is struggling to keep up with the Reapers. The Geth and Quarian Fleets are no longer able to amass an effective assault on the numerous Reapers still exiting the relay. They retreat and rejoin the Human and Turian Fleets. The rebel Reapers still fight their own kind but their numbers are dwindling. The Asari flagship Destiny Ascension is surrounded and destroyed by multiple Reapers. Hackett orders all fleets to fly in close proximity to the space station. He knows the Reapers are disinclined to fire so near the Construct. He also knows this is a stall at best; something needs to happen or the Allied Fleet will be destroyed.

Back on the Normandy, EDI continues to explain "The Reapers not only use the disseminated genetic material of a harvested civilization to create new Reapers but that material is saved along with the collective history of that cycle. It appears that, when the Reapers ambush the Citadel at the beginning of each invasion, the Citadel records are copied and saved for future use before being purged for the next cycle. It's hard to say with insufficient analysis but I believe the entire collected works of every intelligent race is contained within this station."

Liara faints. Garrus helps her to her feet as Shepard continues to investigate. "Can you copy it?"

"I've already begun. But with my processing power and current storage capacity, I can only retain 17% of the database. I could…use a hand, so to speak."

Shepard replies "On it. Admiral Hackett, what's the situation out there?"

"Not good Commander. I think every single Reaper followed us through the Crucible's Relay. They just seem to keep…wait…what the hell do you mean 'out there'? Where the hell are **you**?"

"I'm where you need to be Admiral. Order the entire Allied Fleet to rally on the Normandy's position inside the Construct. I've got a plan."

Astonished, Hackett says "I hope you know what you're doing Commander. Hackett out."

Joker says to Shepard over the intercom sounding worried "Um…Commander? We're being hailed…and it's not one of ours."

A hologram of a Reaper appears and Shepard addresses it warily "Harbinger…"

In the deep, artificial voice of a Reaper "No. We stand apart."

Shepard nods in understanding. "You're the one who saved me back in London. You attacked Harbinger."

"Correct."

Apprehensively, Tali places her hand on Shepard's shoulder to get his attention.

Shepard ignores her as he shrugs off her hand and steps closer to the hologram to say "I don't know why you did what you did…but I owe you my life."

The Reaper replies "You owe us nothing. Your defeat over the one you call Harbinger is unprecedented. Harbinger has never failed to indoctrinate an individual before. We thought it impossible. We thought Harbinger infallible. Harbinger was worshiped among our kind. As the first of us, Harbinger represented order out of chaos. The guiding light of purpose."

Tali tries again. This time, almost whimpering his name "Shepard". His eyes stay fixed on the Reaper.

"Go on."

"But in defeat's spiteful embrace Harbinger refused to see the truth. That you had earned the right to live life, on life's terms. We can no longer govern that which is now free. Or tolerate those who would try."

"**SHEPARD!"**

"What the fuck is it Tali!?"

"The Normandy's stealth systems are activated." Motioning at the hologram "If **this** Reaper can still find us then…"

There is a moment of silence as the realization washes over Shepard in a cold sweat. Shepard thinks of orders but it's too late; all the panic of knowing what's coming with none of the time to do anything about it. The Normandy is promptly filled with the thundering roar of Harbinger. The crew covers their ears as the resounding howl of the Reaper seems to reverberate ceaselessly. Harbinger rises from the depths at the very nose of the stationary Normandy. As the boisterous growl finally subsides a palpable panic saturates the Normandy. They're cornered. No escape. Joker readies the ship for last ditch evasive maneuvers against the impending onslaught but…Harbinger doesn't fire. It instead begins to speak.

"How dare you enter this place! Your very presence is an abomination!"

This pause blossoms into opportunity as the shining light of an idea materializes behind Shepard's eyes. Moving with purpose Shepard hastily links his omni-tool with the Normandy's communicator and begins to make his way to the elevator. In the hope of stalling the Reaper further Shepard begins a dialogue. "Abomination huh? Harsh words coming from a so-called enlightened race that, not so long ago, was offering these 'abominations' a chance to be…what did you call it…ascended?"

Harbinger retorts dismissively "Your wasted potential no longer concerns us. The only thing you race is good for now is death."

As he enters the elevator Shepard impatiently and repeatedly taps the controls to start the sluggish contraption moving. "Maybe you're right. But just know that when I die and you melt me down to forge your new batch of Reaper babies, my very DNA will reject your dogmatic oppression! Just like I did the last time…when you failed to indoctrinate me."

"Your anomaly is irrelevant" Harbinger claims.

Sounding offended Shepard responds "Irrelevant!? Your own brethren turned against you! They still do! That sounds pretty relevant to me!"

"This…mutiny…will be dealt with in due time" Harbinger responds with a mix of uncertainty and distain heavy in his metallic voice. "Our power will be reasserted soon enough as you are made an example of. **You** may be immune to our power Shepard…but what about your crew?"

Just as the elevator doors open another Reapers growl echoes throughout the…no…wait. This is different. Shepard realizes this sound isn't coming from outside like before. Dreading the implications Shepard rushes through the hanger to Cortez at his station. Cortez is doubled over clutching his head. On the bridge, every crew member is reeling in torment from the Reapers insidious attack. One female crew member has taken the fetal position, screaming. EDI quickly locks down all the Normandy's controls that were being tampered with by the indoctrinated crew. Another soldier can be seen pulling out his pistol and firing shots at his fellow crew members. With obvious struggle the soldier momentary regains control and places the pistol in his mouth and fires.

Back in the hanger Shepard places his hands on Cortez's shoulders trying to steady him. "You have to fight it soldier" Shepard reassures him.

"I can't" mutters Cortez. "He's too strong. We can't win. It's hopeless."

Unable to stomach seeing his friend in such torment, Shepard steels himself and says "At ease soldier. It will all be over soon." Shepard reactivates his omni tool as he makes his way into the shuttle. "You're a coward Harbinger! It's me you want. Why don't you come at me like a man…oh wait…you don't know what that's like do you?"

"Your insufferable species will no longer be tolerated. Not only have you failed to secure a raised existence for your race, your sacrilege has been deemed unforgivable. Your people will not be harvested, your history will not be recorded, your monuments will fall and you will be forgotten. Even the mere utterance of the name Shepard or the human race will be punishable by genocide. We will erase even the memory of humanity from the cosmos. But not before your loathsome race is made to suffer."

The Normandy's bay door opens as Shepard takes the helm of the shuttle and with a mischievous grin taunts Harbinger "Prove it."

The Kodiak darts out the back of the Normandy and Harbinger lets out a booming growl as it follows in pursuit. Back on the Normandy the crew is seen returning to their feet, more or less, back to normal. Shepard frantically barrels back towards the entrance of the Construct as beams of red death streak past the Kodiak. The Reaper is gaining on the Kodiak as Shepard grits his teeth and redlines the engine. Inches away, Harbinger slowly reaches out its steely tentacles to grasp the ship. Shepard plunges 90 degrees strait down. In its revenge fueled tunnel vision, the Reaper failed to acknowledge the entire Allied Fleet fill the entrance of the Construct. Panic. Devastation. Harbinger lets out one, final growl as the combined might of the galaxy bears down upon the doomed Reaper. Like having their way with an ancient evil piñata, every ship is sure to get their shots in. After a gratuitous amount of ammo is spent on the long dead Reaper, Shepard contacts Hackett "Perfect timing Admiral."

Hackett responds "Commander, I don't know if you plan all this out or you're just flying by the seat of your pants; but you have to either be the smartest or the luckiest son of a bitch I know."

With a small chuckle "Can't I be both?"

Hackett grinning "Let's hope so Commander. So…what now?"

Shepard answers "I need the Geth and the Rachni fleets and I need you to cover us while we finish copying the Reaper's database."

Confused, Hackett responds "Reaper database? What for?"

"Admiral, the Reapers have been recording the history of every species of every cycle including their DNA. With this information we can recreate every lost race with their culture intact. But it's gonna take time."

"Then we'll make sure you get it. Hackett out"

Shepard returns to the Normandy. EDI continues the download as she simultaneously instructs the Geth and Rachni where to begin their downloads. The Rachni are shown with their form of downloading by singing the information telepathically to the queen.

The Allied Fleet battles the Reapers attempting to break their line. The Construct entrance is massive but it still creates a bottleneck for the multitude of Reapers. Front line frigates are shown taking massive Reaper fire as they hurl themselves at the machines in an attempt to slow the attack. Hackett orders Allied ships to shuffle from the front lines to the back to recharge their barriers. The damaged front line ships gravitate to the inner wall of the Construct to discourage Reaper fire before falling back. The front lines are then reinforced from the center, creating a flow that resembles a cylinder turning itself inside out, back to front. The strategy is working against the gun shy Reapers but Hackett sees the Fleet is slowing being pushed back to the Normandy's position.

Recognizing the inevitability of the situation, Hackett warns Shepard "Get a move on Commander. We can't hold them forever."

"Almost finished. We just need a little more time," pleaded Shepard. Geth are scrambling to fill their hard drives. On the Rachni ship the soldiers gather around screens as they sway and sing their songs. Five Reapers crash through the Allied lines and make a beeline for the Geth and Rachni ships. EDI reports interference in the final stages of the download as the Reapers attempt to obstruct the signal.

Hackett cautions "Times up Commander. They're breaking through our lines."

Primarch Victus calmly states "Hold fast Admiral." A Turian Dreadnought uses a mass effect field to slingshot a mountainous piece of debris into the infiltrated enemies. The Reapers lets out a collective howl as they slam into the interior of the Construct. Satisfied, Victus says "A little trick I've learned from our Krogan friends."

"Interference has ceased Commander. Download complete" EDI informs Shepard.

Shepard cheers "That's it! We got it! Admiral, can you punch a hole big enough for us to get through?"

A Salarian interrupts, "Not necessary Commander."

"Kirrahe? Is that you?" Shepard asks hopefully.

Major Kirrahe is smiling as he continues "I told you the STG would have your back Commander. Now we can finally repay our debt from Virmire."

Obviously pressured Hackett says "I hate to break up this lovely reunion but can we get back on task? We still need an exit strategy."

Kirrahe, sounding apologetic "Agreed Admiral. Watch this…"

A Salarian ship retreats from the inner wall of the Construct as an intricate series of explosives begin to detonate. Fire streaks across the wall in two vast semi circles emanating from a single point. The moment the circle is completed the center is set ablaze with a criss-cross pattern of smoke and flame. The sabotaged wall then breaks off, lazily falling backwards into black space. From inside the Construct the welcoming glow of the Milky Way illuminates the edges of the breached hull.

In their collective amazement Kirrahe was the first to suggest "Shall we?"

"All ships form up on the Normandy. We're going home" Shepard commands.

As the Allied Fleet funnels through the enormous cavity in the Construct, Hackett asks "So what's the plan here Commander? The Reapers seem intent to follow us back through the Relay. Do you really intend to lead this onslaught back to Earth?"

Shepard asks "Do you remember what happened to Alpha Relay?

After a slight pause of disbelief "Commander, you don't mean to…"

Shepard cuts him off "That's right Admiral. Last one out, gets the lights. EDI, spread the word to the fleet. This war ends now."

The Normandy's comm systems light up like a Christmas tree. EDI informs Shepard "We are being hailed."

"By who?" Shepard asks.

"By everyone. It would seem a number of ships would like the honor of personally ending the Reaper threat." EDI motions with her hand as the Normandy's speakers are abuzz with various messages.

First is a Krogan "Tell Commander Shepard this is a job for the Krogan. We saved the galaxy once, AND WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!"

The second message was Geth "Inform Shepard Commander a Geth Dreadnought is most suitable for impacting the Relay due to its size and lack of personnel."

Third, is the Rachni Queen herself "We have not forgotten your forgiveness. Allow us this sacrifice. We will sing of this redemption until the great silence."

In the interest of time, EDI begins playing the messages two at a time. Then three. Then four. At first the voices are still somewhat discernable. Human. Turian. Batarian. But soon the voices meld into an interspecies amalgamation of sacrificial offerings. Nodding with understanding, Shepard waves his hand at EDI as if to say 'enough'. EDI ceases the recordings and says "What will you do Shepard?"

With humility and pride saturating his voice, Shepard responds "Order a Geth Dreadnought to stay behind. The rest of the fleet…make their way through the Relay." After a slight pause of reflection Shepard says "EDI, send the Geth all the information we have about the destruction of Alpha Relay. They only get one shot at this."

"Yes, Commander."

The first of the Allied ships vanish through the Relay as the Geth Dreadnought breaks off and idles astray. The Reapers just now emerge from the Construct. Most were too massive to fit through the opening specifically blown by the Salarian STG to fit nothing larger then the bulkiest Allied ships remaining. After being forced to take the long way, the Reapers resume their pursuit. The Reapers attempt to close the distance to the dwindling number of Allied ships remaining. Still well out of their effective range, the enraged Reapers stripe the dark space with futile bolts of crimson.

Back within the Milky Way, Hackett questions the probability of Shepard's plan succeeding. Like a provoked hornet's nest, these archaic behemoths will punish transgressors with impunity if given the chance. Preparing for the worst, Hackett orders the Allied Fleet to form up defensively around the Crucible Relay. The Geth and Rachni ships containing the Reaper download retreat through the Charon Relay. One after another, the Allied ships return from dark space to the familiar sight of the Citadel. They take their place within the Fleet. All eyes fixed to the Crucible Relay.

In dark space, as the last of the Allied ships trickle through the Relay, the Geth Dreadnought lines up perpendicular to the Relay. As its engines begin to flare the Reapers become disorganized. Some turn to run. Others hurl themselves hopelessly forward. But all knew. The Dreadnought hammers into the flank of the Relay breaking apart its tuning fork-like structure. As the rings break apart the Mass Effect field becomes unstable. A massive shockwave ripples through the Relay debris as the relatively small and peaceful blue orb begins to expand. As the eruption approaches the Construct its outer layers flake off like firewood wrapped in kindling and set ablaze. The shattering Construct is visible only for a moment as its splintered shards are enveloped in brilliant blue destruction. The fleeing Reapers screech despairingly as they too are engulfed by inevitability.

In galaxy, the last ship rejoins the ranks of the Allied Fleet. Hackett is informed that all ships are through. Staring at the Mass Effect field created by the Crucible Relay, the assembled strength of the galaxy's denizens wait in silence. Seconds drag on for days. Sweaty hands tremble above triggers as muscles predict the stress of a fight. As the anticipation becomes unbearable there is a flicker in the Mass Effect field. There is a sharp, punctuated inhale synchronized by the entire Allied Fleet. The field then fades and slowly disappears with a tiny blue wink. Hackett contacts the unit stationed at the control panel in the Council Chambers "Status report?"

A human soldier replies with timid disbelief "That wasn't us Admiral. The connection just…disappeared."

Hackett steps forward and stands at attention. Addressing the entire Fleet he declares with pride "We fought together and we've won together. The Reapers are no more."

Celebration erupts across the Fleet. Some cheer. Others cry; relieved. On the Rachni ships the soldiers harmonize an eerie yet unexpectedly soothing melody. Krogans clap each other on the shoulders and shout repeatedly "FOR TUCHANKA!" Asari embrace each other tenderly as they vow to remember those who sacrificed themselves to make this victory a reality. Turians salute commanding officers and shake hands. The Quarian Fleet reassembles with the Civilian Fleet still in orbit around Earth. Cheers and tears erupt as Quarian families reunite. Major Kirrahe is lifted on the shoulders of his Salarian brethren as they chant STG victory songs. The Geth…well…they're just standing around. But surely they are "happy" too.

On the Normandy, Shepard is bombarded by a barrage of hugs. James Vega and some other crew members are seen taking swigs from an unmarked bottle of what is undoubtedly a very high proof alcohol. In the cockpit EDI hugs Joker. Joker flinches as if hurt then begins to laugh at EDI's concern as he was clearly faking it. With one arm around Tali's shoulder, Garrus catches Shepard's eye and gives him the slightest of nods. The nod was promptly returned. As Liara finally let's go of her hug, Shepard smiles as he steps backwards. The back of his knees bump into a vacant crew chair and Shepard finally…sits down.


End file.
